About

The Jewish and Muslim communities share many important values that originate from common religious teachings. As students, we want to illustrate the importance of working together through shared values to make a difference in our local community, despite our religious and political differences.

Both Judaism and Islam value Tzedakah or Sadaqah, which literally means “charity”, and also encompasses all acts of compassion and generosity. This student-led initiative uses faith based humanitarian work as a foundation for interfaith dialogue. Facilitators create an environment that fosters sensitivity, highlights commonalities and honours differences. Participants engage side-by-side in volunteering and discussion. They are encouraged to question prejudices and consider ways of building bridges between their communities.

The goal is to plant the seeds of change and goodwill by creating dialogue that participants can nurture in their own families and communities- creating new opportunities to build interfaith trust and understanding.

Since February of 2009, Muslim and Jewish students have participated in a joint initiative to volunteer at the Dundas United Church’s Out of the Cold program – distributing food to London’s homeless and underprivileged. Through the initiative, students have been able to build meaningful relationships.

Vision Statement:

1. Focus on mutual values within our faiths
2. Gain an understanding of one another’s faith
3. Build bridges between our communities
4. Encourage an inclusive and respectful atmosphere on campus
5. Acknowledge that differences exist in political views
6. Give back to the community while having fun